Feeding device for tack-making machines



May 22, 1923.

G. A. PARKER FEEDING DEVICE FOR TACK MAKI'NG MACHINES Filed July 14, 1921 4 SheetsfSheet l /lellllllll l /1 liwglglglelglel mm May 22, 1923. Y 1,456,190

G. A. PARKER FEEDING DEVIQE FOR TACK MAKING MACHINES May 22, 1923.

G. A. PARKER FEEDING DEVICE FOR TACK MAKING MACHINES Filed July 14 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 WWW/[lll] 19.15

May 22, 1923.

G.v A. PARKER lFEEDING DEVICE FOR TACK MAKING MACHINES Filed July 14 1921. 4 Sheeizs--Shem- 4 R @wh mw ...MW MWA mlm f1. ,mi

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ff. fil/kon] Patented May 22, 1923.

narran sra'res GEORGE A. PARKER, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEEDING DEVICE FOB, TACK-MAKING MACHINES.

Application led July 14, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE A.. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, resident .of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Feeding Devices for Tack-Making Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in blank feeding mechanism for tack machines.

In making tacks and similar articles it is customary to provide mechanism for feeding blanks of sheet metal to the cutting ma.- chines, and the feeders are so made as to advance the blanks out of the delivery end of the device and to the cutters at a certain speed.

So far as I am aware, however,` the machines constructed heretofore are adapted to hold and work on but one blank at a time, necessitating the constant attention of the operator, and are also open to the objection that the rate of feed is fixed and cannot be varied.

It is an object of my invention tov provide a machine capable of containing a plurality of blanks, which are fed out automatically one after another.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device of this character with novel feeding means, whichcan be adjusted to materially vary the rate of feed of the blanks. In carrying out my invention I provide a rotatable blank carrying element, and means, actuated by the rotation of said element, for imparting ,a step by step feed to the blanks in said element, and which feed may be varied at will.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the blank feeding device,

Figure 2 is a vertical section therethrough showing ablank and the feeding mechanism,

Figure .3 is a horizontal section through the device, r

Figure 4: is a section on the line 4, Fig ure 2. l

Serial No. 484,677.

larice." f

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of' Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view of the delivery end of the device, d

Figure 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Figure 2,

Figure 9 is a section online 9 9 of Figure 7 showing the rollers forv supporting and delivering a blank, and,

Figure 10 is a perspective partially broken i and a pair of recesses 5 disposed on opposite sides of the axial opening. The collar 3 supports a plate or washer 6 carrying brackets 7 in which the cam elements 8 are supported. rThe cams are adjustable' longitudinally in the recesses 5, and are controlled by some such means as nuts 9. l

Rotatably mounted in thefaxial opening 4 of the collar 3, is a flanged journal 10, .provided with a longitudinal slot 11 through which blank 12 passes. The flange 13 of the journal bears against the inner face ofthe collar 3 and is provided with oppositely disposed peripheral recesses 14, and bearings 15 opening therein. Journaled in the bearings 15 on pins 16, the sprocket gears 17,'and ratchet gear 18, are mounted., to rotate with the journal 10.

The cam actuated ratchets and pawls 19` are pivoted on pins 16,and are provided with rollers which ride over the stationary cams 8, as the journal 10k rotates, carrying with it the sprocket and ratchet gears 17 and 18. As each roller 2O rides up on a cam 8 the pavvl 19 will move the ratchet gear forward, and as the roller drops off the cam, the pawl will be retracted and will. engage behind the neat tooth ready for engagement with the next cam 8, It will be seen that as the cams are adjusted longitudinally toward the rollers, the rollers `will be raised higher, and will consequently advance the ,ratchet gear and associated sprocket gear a greater distance.

Rigidly affixed to the inner end of the journal 10 is a tube or cylinder 21 terminating in a flared collar 22 rotatably mounted in thel end of the stationary tube l. The fiared collar 22 also has peripheral openings in which sprocket gears 17 are journaled, over which and sprocket gears 17, the sprocket chains Q8 pass. The chains may be of any construction, but each link of one half of each chain only carries a lug 29 for engagement behind a blank for feeding it from the machine. At intervals in the tube 21 hollow partit-ions 23 are fastened, provided with rectangular arial openings and carrying spring-pressed blank-holding fingers 24, pivoted on pins Q5 mounted in the partitions.

The blank magazine comprising two similar U-shaped members 26 with a longitudinal slot between them, has spaces 27 through which the springfingers 2i extend at the forward end of the machine, and afiixed to the rotatable ournal 10 is a reduced cylinder 31, carrying rollers 32 for guiding theI blanks from the machine. This rotation is obtained from any suitable source of power, through a gear 30 affixed to the journal 10.

The operation of the machine is as follows, after determining` and fixing the rate of 4feed by adjusting the cams 8 to the proper position, the 'operator inserts blanks into the magazine 26-through the flared collar 22, until the magazine is full, with the spring fingers pressing against the blanks and tending to force them toward the center. The machine is then started and as the movable cylinder and journal rotate, the sprockets and chains will move with a step by step movement until the first link carrying a lug reaches the rear of the machine, here the lug enters the slot between the halves of the magazine and engages behind it and moves it forward.

After it has been pushed as far as the lug can carry it, the lug will cease to engage the blank and will then pass over the sprocket and toward the rear of the machine, on the outside of the rotating cylinder.

After all of the lug-carrying links have passed over the sprocket, therewill be no lugs in the longitudinal slot of the magazine and the spring fingers will push another blank in to the center in position to be engaged by the lug as it again ,enters the magazine. The second blank is already just behind the stub end of the first and so the end is fed out through the rollers 32 b v the second blank with but a momentary delay in the feeding.

It is believed t-he operation of the machine l will be apparent, and it will be seen that 1 have produced a machine for feeding a plurality of blanks one after another without the necessity of inserting a new blank as each previous one is expelled and which further has a positive feeding mechanism which can be adjusted as to speed by a very simple operation.

1t is desirable to eject the stubs of the blanks left in the machine after the operation of the cutting dies, the accumulation of these stubs having heretofore given the operator much trouble.

To this end the cylinder 31 is attached to the journal l0A by diametrically opposite screws 33, allowing a slight deflection of vsaid cylinder. are mounted within an annulus 34e, pivotally supported at 85 in extensions 36 of the cylinder 31, said annulus being held nor- The outermost pair of rollers 32 i mally axially aligned with the cylinder by l springs 37.

Each of the rollers 32 ofthe outermost pair are provided with a coil 'spring 38, de-

signed to be tensioned as the blank is fed through these rollers. When the blank has passed from engagement with the other rollers carried by the cylinder 81, and the feed devices are in such position that said blank may lie flat upon the die face of the cutter, the tack machine is operated, thereby bringing the blank into horizontal position and rocking the cylinder 3l and annulus 34 upon the pivots 33 and 35. rIhe butt of the blank is thus broughtout of line with the head of the succeeding blank, and upon the cutting away of the body portion therefrom, will be ejected rearwardly by the reaction of the springs 38.

1 claim as my invention:

1. 1n a blank feeding mechanism, a rotatable blank holder, and means actuated by the rotation of said holderv forV feeding the blanks, said means being adjustable so as to control the rate of speed of said blanks.

2. 1n a blank feeding mechanism, the combination with a rotary blank holding element, of an endlessfeeder carried by said element. and of stationarily `mounted means controlling and actuating the endless feeder, said means comprising longitudinally ad'- justable tapered cams.

3. 1n a blank feeding mechanism, the com bination `with a stationary housing, journal and cylinder rotatably mounted in thehousing, a blank magazine carriedby the cylinder, and endless chains supported by the` cylinder for moving said chains, said means i comprising a pair of adj ustable cams mounted in the housing, and a pawl andv ratchet mounted in the journal and actuating the chains. i

4. In a blank feeding mechanism, a magazine, means for feeding the blanks successvely from said magazine, and means aet- In testimony whereof I ax my signature ing reversely of said feed to eject the stubs. n presence of two Witnesses.

5. 1n a blank feeding mechanism', a magazine, means for feeding the blanks succes- GEORGE A' PARKER 5 svely from said magazine, and guide devices Witnesses:

adapted to allow movement of a blank out of PASQUALE TASEMA,

the line of feed. FRANCIS M. KANE. 

